If only I could turn back time
by Claire01
Summary: NoahHayley fic
1. Chapter 1

Set at no particular time... fic by request… my first attempt at writing for anyone other than KK so be kind… :-/   
  
***  
  
"Why?"  
  
His voice echoed through her head.   
  
"why did you do it?"  
  
She couldn't give him an answer. It had just seemed right at the time. It was like she had lost her mind. She'd never forget his face after the verdict was announced. The look of disappointment and confusion as she had been taken down. Guilty. Guilty of arson. Scott's boatshed had been burnt to the ground before the fire service had reached it. And for what? She didn't dare tell him that she was under the impression that Kit was inside. Her rival for Noah's affections. She'd have been sent down for attempted murder. She wished she hadn't done it. It was like she had lost her mind.  
  
She hadn't seen him in months, not since that day. Sometimes it had driven her to the brink of despair. Maybe he was too ashamed of her. Maybe he was with Kit now and she'd missed her chance at happiness. If she could turn the clock back she would, but she couldn't and she no choice but to live with the consequences.   
  
"Miss Hayley Smith?"  
  
She stepped forward to the desk as an officer produced a box of her personal possessions, all she had surrendered two months beforehand whilst being forced to give up her freedom.   
  
..........................  
  
THE PALACE  
  
He watched as the clock slowly ticked around. Second by second. Minute by minute. She'd be getting out now, Irene had said three o'clock. She'd be returning to the beach house now that all her belongings had been moved from the Palace. Seb had been quick to occupy her old room and it had just been the three of them for the past weeks. He, Alex and Seb. All three of them had been enthusiastic about an all-male house but the novelty had fast worn off. The place felt so empty without Hayley's artwork cluttering up the rooms. He felt empty. But he still couldn't understand why Hayley had set the boatshed alight in the first place. It had occupied his mind for the past two months. It was just so out of character for hayley to have done such a thing. He hadn't been able to divert his mind from her, even throughout his week long relationship with Kit, which had crumbled at their first arguement.   
  
..........................  
  
BEACH HOUSE  
  
"Do you think he'll want to see me?"  
  
Hayley took a sip of her cup of tea and looked across at Irene, who debated the question.   
  
"You can only try darl"  
  
She nodded  
  
"Yeah... you're right... we're going to have to talk eventually"  
  
It was a small town, it was impossible for her to go one day without bumping into him. Besides, she was desperate to see him, just to find out if he still cared. Irene had confirmed that there was nothing between Noah and Kit anymore, which was something. She deposited her empty cup onto the coffee table and walked towards the door, before turning back to Irene  
  
"Thanks Irene"  
  
"For what?"  
  
Sticking by her through thick and thin, being the supportive mother she had never had, for her good advice.  
  
"Everything... it means a lot"  
  
"Good luck with Noah"  
  
She knew better than anyone how wound up Hayley still was over the guy. She had done nothing but ask after him during her visits at the prison. And she deserved a bit of happiness after spending two months in that hell-hole. She had adapted surprisingly well, and despite initial problems had managed to survive. But she was still the only one that knew the real reason that Hayley had torched the boatshed. The only conclusion that Irene could draw was that love meade people do stupid things. As the door rattled shut and Hayley made her way to the palace, Irene could only hope that things could get back to normal. That Hayley's life would take a turn for the better. 


	2. Chapter 2

She knocked hesitantly on the door of The Palace, feeling like a stranger. It had been like that during her entire walk through the Bay. Like she had been away for a century. She heard the door being unlocked from within and braced herself. Maybe he wouldn't realise that she was that nervous.   
  
But it was Alex that answered the door and a smile was exchanged between the pair. They had broken up a few months before the incident with the boatshed yet their friendship had remained almost intact. He had been one of her few visitors on the inside. He, Irene and Nick.   
  
"Welcome back"  
  
He hadn't been expecting to see her quite so soon. She must only have been out a couple of hours.  
  
Hayley smiled, grateful that he wasn't behaving coldly towards her. Dani had hardly acknowledged her when they had passed on the beach.   
  
"Is Noah in?"  
  
"He's taking a shower"  
  
Alex stood back, beckoning her to enter. She wiped her feet on the mat as she steped in, not that it would have made any difference. She barely recognised the place beneath the mess that cluttered the worktops. It was as if they hadn't tidied in weeks.   
  
Alex gathered the previous nights pizza boxes from the table and cleared a chair of the stack of books that had built up on them. Something to do with Seb, but since Kirsty dumped him and he had moved out of Alf's he hardly bothered with his studies.   
  
"I'll get you a coffee"  
  
He filled the kettle.  
  
"You settling back into Irene's alright?"  
  
"Yeah, she's been great... not quite the same as here though..."  
  
She looked around, remembering the time she and Noah had first found the house. It had been all their dreams come true. Exactly what they had been looking for. The months they had lived there with Josh had been the happiest days of her life. Then things just fell apart. The moment she had kissed Josh she knew things would never be the same again.   
  
"Has Noah... said anything... about me?"  
  
Alex paused. He couldn't lie  
  
"He's been pretty quiet... we haven't had a word out of him all day... I reckon that says something though"  
  
Hayley nodded. Perhaps it was a good sign. At least he wasn;t behaving like she didn't exist.   
  
It was only a couple of minutes before the bathroom door slid open and Noah stepped out, top half undressed but with a towel draped around his shoulders. He stopped dead as he saw Hayley, no sure how he was meant to react. He too hadn't thought she'd be so soon to visit. He disguised his surprise as best he could but seeing her again was incredible.   
  
"Hayley... hi"  
  
She smiled anxiously. It was like they hardly knew each other.   
  
"So how are you doing?"  
  
He picked up a shirt from its position on the back of the sofa before returning to the kitchen.   
  
"Good... you?"  
  
"Yeah, not bad"  
  
Alex looked between them  
  
"I'm just going to go and... tidy up... through here"  
  
Alex sauntered off into the lounge room, swiftly changing his mind about the labourous task of cleaning the place up, and instead returned to the TV.  
  
He could tell Noah and Hayley had a lot to discuss and the best thing to do was to leave them be. Noah had been on edge all morning about her getting out. He couldn't help but feel jealous of Noah, and couldn't deny his still-strong feelings for Hayley. The split had been Hayley's choice, and it was inevitable after it became obvious Hayley still had feelings for Noah. What he couldn't understand was why Noah couldn't see how lucky he was. 


End file.
